Category: Technology

AngularJS: How to Begin

AngularJS is the Javascript framework for website development. It is widely popular for the features including modularity and separation of concerns. Here are some of the keywords you must be familiar with in order to build web applications with AngularJS.

Steps to Create

Here are the steps to create an application with AngularJS:

  1. Download the latest angular js file from the Angular website. Or, you can include the CDN in the script tag of your web page
  2. Bootstrap the application with Angular by using ng-app
  3. Create a controller in the app
  4. Create the HTML view in the body
  5. Run the application in a web browser




Angular Keywords

  1. Directives: AngularJS uses the directives to convert static HTML into dynamic Document Object Model (DOM) with the help of special attributes such as:
    1. ng-app: To determine which part of the page will use Angular. It will load the respective module in that part.
    2. ng-controller: To identify which Javascript controller should be used in that part of the page.
    3. ng-model: To determine the binding between model and the input field ensuring two way binding.
  2. Modules: Modules ensure separation of concerns in manageable units. It can comprise all the directives, expressions, controllers, services, and filters. Modules specify how an application can be bootstrapped. Advantages of using modules are:
    1. Easy to declare and understand
    2. Code can be packaged as reusable chunks
    3. Easy to load in any order or load in parallel
    4. Faster unit tests because only relevant modules can be tested
    5. Modules can be used in end-to-end tests to override configuration
  3. Controllers: Controllers are defined by a JavaScript constructor function that is used to augment the Scope. They carry the business logic and determine how the view and model interact. The scope is a mandatory parameter that is passed to the controller.
    1. A controller is attached to the DOM via the ng-controller directive.
    2. Then,  Angular instantiates a new Controller object, using the specified Controller‘s constructor function.
    3. A new child scope will be created and made available as an injectable parameter to the Controller’s constructor function as $scope.
  4. Expressions: Expressions are Javascript code snippets that are placed in dual curly braces. {{ }}. They are used to load model directly into the view. Advantages of using expressions are:
    1. Evaluated in the current scope not in the global window
    2. Evaluation of errors is either null or undefined
    3. Loops, functions, exceptions cannot be handled in Angular expressions
    4. You need to create a controller for complex Javascript functions




  5. Scope: Scope is an object of the application model. It refers to the current context or boundary of the application. Scope establishes a connection between application controller and view. Some of the characteristics of the scope are:
    1. Used to observe model mutations
    2. Used to propagate events similar to DOM events
    3. Can be nested to limit the properties and behavior of application components
    4. A child scope can inherit from the parent scope
    5. Provide a context for expressions to evaluate

There are some other key terms such as filters, forms, routing, and services which are key to an Angular application.

Forget Everything: Just Learn AngularJS!

Angular or AngularJS is the next most powerful Javascript framework out there which is becoming increasingly popular among the tech world. Angular JS along with CSS frameworks such as Bootstrap coupled with the REST services is redefining Website development.

AngularJS

AngularJS was developed by Google and is the most important Javascript framework which makes easier for the developer to maintain the code and achieve the same and better functionality achieved with Javascript. The best part of AngularJS is that it is open source and is having the largest support available of all the frameworks available. The current stable version is 1.4.7 and Angular 2.0 is on the way!

Advantages of AngularJS

AngularJS is similar to Javascript and it can enhance the HTML which will enable it to achieve client side programming. It has inbuilt JQuery support called JQLite which helps us in utilizing almost eighty percent of functions in JQuery library.

Browsers

AngularJS has inbuilt multi-browser support and it works on any browser such as Chrome, Opera, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer. You can access your website from any device, tablet, computer, or desktop. Large-scale Enterprise applications can be developed using AngularJS. AngularJS is widely used for developing Single Page Applications (SPA) which are super light and super fast at the same time delivering unbelievable amount of data to the user.

Design

AngularJS facilitates rapidly changing user requirements and business needs at the same time leveraging the skill sets of Front end web developers. Separation of concerns that is defining the model, view, and controller-makes it easier for modular programming and keeping any changes manageable. Dependency injection and use of patterns is simple with AngularJS. Angular supports the very popular Model View Controller pattern(MVC), Model View View Model (MVVM) pattern, and Model View Whatever (MVW) pattern. AngularJS also supports responsive design which is way more important for modern day websites.

Testing

AngularJS is also super good for testing as it allows testing of Model and Controllers in isolation. AngularJS is designed to run unit testing with Karma, Jasmine and Angular mocks. The interactions between View and other components requires mocking framework to unit test. This can be achieved with AngularJS.

Prerequisites

To learn AngularJS, you must be familiar with Javascript, HTML, CSS, and website development. You also need basics of Java, PHP, and MySQL. You can download the latest version from the Angular website or include the CDN in the script tag of your web page.

iOS 8

OK, so Apple announced in their new WWDC that they’d be releasing a new software update for iOS devices. That’s right. iOS 8 was just announced in WWDC 2014 in San Fran’s Moscone West. They had said that there would lots of improvements that are on the same iOS 7 interface. Apple also announced their new “Continuity” feature, which allows you work on a device, then if you want to work on an another one, you can just click the app and it will launch, but it will allow you keep working on as normal as possible and as smooth as possible. Apple also says that this will work on any device working on iOS 8 or for computers, OS X Yosemite.

As for changes, Apple announced a new Enterprise feature, which allows businesses to configure their Apple devices to their liking to distribute to their employees. As I watched this being announced, I realized that this part of the Developer conference got the most applause. I was surprised.

Well, this concludes this blog. If you have any questions, follow me on twitter at @PierceWrightp81.iOS 8

Papa’s Hot Doggeria

One day, I was on the Interwebs, (Internet)and I came across a website called hoodamath.com, and I found a game called Papa’s Hot Doggeria. I tried it out, and before I knew it, I found myself playing for the last three hours. All I could say was, “Wow this game is addicting! I should write a blog on this!” So here I am.

This game is super addicting. I recommend this game if you are a person who likes to waste their time. No, seriously. I’m not kidding. It will waste your time, in a good way. I promise you’ll have fun. In fact I’ll bet five bucks to a guy who always wins. Yep, I’m that confident.In case you’re wondering, this is not one game. In fact, it’s a whole series of games. The series is called “Papa Louie”.

This game is also very flexible. Let’s say that you want to upgrade your lobby. You can always visit the shop and buy new stuff, like wallpapers and tables and even new clothes for your avatar. This one of the reasons why I think that this one of the reasons this game is addicting.

Another reason I like this game is that it has great graphics. It looks like a game that could easily be on a console. Uh-huh. It’s that good. Plus it never has bugs. It never freezes, never has anything wrong with it. How do I know? I have a great internet connection, so it never does anything listed above.

I hope this review was  helpful. If so, follow me on twitter on @PierceWrightp81.

Finally, here is the link to the game and the start page.

http://www.hoodamath.com/games/papashotdoggeria.html

Papa's Hot Doggeria
Papa’s Hot Doggeria

 

Improve Ad revenue by showing only 1 post on WordPress main screen

The WordPress 3.9 installation comes with default setting to show recent 10 posts on the main screen. This slows down the page load in case you have lots of those ads :-).

Anyways, you cannot show more than 3 ads on a single page if you’ve only Google AdSense account.

Overall showing multiple pages also hinders the users enthusiasm on the contents. Instead you can have the Tag Cloud and Menus.

Considering Pros and Cons its a better idea to set it up for showing minimum possible posts on the main screen.

 

You can set to any number of posts from Dashboard -> Settings -> General screen.

Hope you liked this tip…leave a comment or click an ad 🙂

Happy Wheels

So, last night, I was messing round on the Internet (ya know, Chrome Games, Computer Games, Research,) and I found this one game called Happy Wheels. I was really curious, hearing from my friends that it was a awesomesauce game. (awesomesauce is a way of saying that it is very cool) So I downloaded it.In less than 15 minutes I was addicted. The only time I would stop is to either take a bathroom break or to eat. I recommend this game to anyone who has a really good, solid, computer but does not have anything but work to do on it. This game is also a great time-passer. 1 hour will go by like 15 minutes.

I kind of ad libed here, but here is a pros and cons list:

         Pros:                                                              

  • very addicting
  • great soundtrack
  • educational (on what not to do)
  • fun
  • gives you second chances
  • has easy and hard levels

 

Cons:

  • bloody
  • rated 10+
  • educational (on what not to do)
  • very addicting
  • gory
  • has very little mercy

Now, I made this blog to share a game that I like personally. Please do not take it like I’m comparing, oh, I don’t know, Team Fortress 2 to Happy Wheels.This is my opinion and my recommendation , not my comparison.

To top it all off, here is a picture of the title screen.happy-wheels-09-700x388

Vizio Tablet

The eight inch tablet from Vizio has good display and widgets but is limited in audio and browsing capabilities. The WiFi tablet costs around $200 and has all the basic requirements of a tablet with many android apps.

Here are the good aspects of VTAB1008:

  1. 8 inch LED LCD display with capacitative touch buttons and screen resolution of 1024×768
  2. Front facing camera for chatting and taking pictures
  3. Inbuilt television remote and bluetooth
  4. 32GB maximum storage with 4GB built in storage
  5. Can be connected to a TV, headset, SD Card, and USB
  6. Weighs 1.5 pounds
  7. Battery life up to 10hours
  8. Bottom menu bar

Here are the not so good aspects I observed:

  1. Heavy and bulky appearance
  2. No horizontal panning
  3. Maximum volume is low
  4. Sensitive buttons get pressed unnecessarily
  5. Browser closes abruptly
  6. Camera is not good for pictures
  7. Web browsing is not that comfortable
With affordable cost, the Vizio tablet provides basic requirements of a portable device. It is a good choice for starters. You need to download additional apps to reduce the lag. 🙂

 

 

 

iPhone 4S

Just before  Steve Jobs passed away, Apple introduced its iPhone 4S, which is basically same as iPhone4 but has inbuilt voice assistant Siri. It also features 8 Megapixel camera for better face detection and video stabilization. iPhone 4S also has iCloud which can synchronize all your Apple devices.

iPhone 4S already sold out its pre orders for its latest features. Apple fans are ordering the latest version of the iPhone series. Its latest features include dual core A-5 chip, built in assistant Siri, Bluetooth 4.0, 8 mega pixel camera, iOS 5, iCloud, along with other built-in applications. The data download speed of iPhone 4S is 14.4 Mbps which is double the iPhone 4.

  1. The A-5 chip is the Package-on-package System-on-a-chip developed by Apple. Apple had already released the iPad 2 with the A-5 chip followed by the iPhone 4S. Apple claims that the chip is seven times faster than A4 and has better image processing capabilities. Manufactured by Samsung, A-5 chip is the latest chips by the Apple which is included in the iPhone 4S.
  2. The voice assistant Siri, the Beta version, sends messages, sets up reminders, makes phone calls, schedules meetings, sets messages, and son based on your voice. You can activate the commands through voice and the assistant replies to you as if a person is reading to you. You can check the weather in a particular place, find out local restaurants, and movie theaters through your voice commands.
  3. Bluetooth 4, primarily consumers 90 per cent less energy. It is useful for medical technologies and medical devices for capturing the data within up to 20  feet. iPhone 4S features Bluetooth 4, through which you can synchronize and control other bluettoh devices such as headset, or mouse, or keyboard, or television.
  4. The 8 mega pixel camera is the next big thing in the iPhone 4S. Additional face detection capabilities along with auto focus, illumination sensors enhance the picture quality. Grid zoom facilities and tap to focus help to take better pictures and videos. The video stabilization in iPhone 4S is claimed to be better than the iPhone 4.
  5. iOS 5 is the latest operating system from Apple that has extended features such as messaging from one Apple device to other, seeing voice messages, capturing pictures, checking instant messages right from the lock screen. Te Notification Center acts as a one stop for all the mails, calendars, reminders, tweets, face book messages and so on.  iOS 5 has inbuilt twitter making easy social networking.
  6. The biggest buzz about the iCloud is synchronizing all your Apple devices such as the Mac book, Apple TV, iPod, iPhone, iPad, and so on. That means, you can download a book on a phone and read it anywhere on your computer or pad or mac book without synchronizing with a wire. It is automatically updated on all your Apple devices.

Compare the Apple iPhones before purchasing and the new features will pave way for more discoveries in the future models. It seems, Steve Jobs laid out future plans for the next four years despite his illness. While some argue that nothing is new in iPhone 4S, some see innovations and advanced technologies in built. 🙂

Motorola Xoom

With the deluge of tablets being released, it has become tedious to decide which one is the best. Motorola Xoom, the latest in the tablet family performs well in the wireless networks for multimedia operations and web browsing. The high priced tablet is a good add on if you are a gadget geek. 🙂

With 10.1 inch display and 1280 x 800 screen resolution, Motorola Xoom is best suited for videos. It is built with Google Android and Honeycomb 3.0. Released in January 2011, the tablet has 32 GB with 1 G Hz processing speed. It weighs around 25 ounces and though some of its features are still being developed, the Xoom is admired by many for its flexibility.

The music is crisp and clear and the video streaming is good. The tablet has support from Google maps, e-books and blue tooth. The mail notification system is at the right hand corner which helps to enjoy the current program uninterrupted. The widgets can be scrolled and stacked on the home screen itself apart from searching and arranging.

You can attaching external memory and though Flash is not inbuilt, it can be downloaded. You can also transfer files from your computer through a cable. You can rent movies, buy applications, and games through the Android market. The tablet is available in different versions and is priced from about $500 to $800.

One can open and view MS Office files through the applications. You can work on Google documents and write blogs using the tablet. The tablet is good for on the go internet, multimedia, emails, and video chatting. The 4G upgrade is planned to release in September 2011. The microSD feature is expected with software upgrade. Its optional accessories include a charging cum speaker dock, wireless keyboard, protective case, vehicle adapter and so on.

The major drawbacks include the high price, limited applications, poor resolution in games, cramped keypad, and heavier than its competitors. Most of the games and applications seem to hang and quit while downloading itself. Despite the dual cameras, the pictures are not that clear.

My favorite part of the tablet is the fruit slicing game and one touch email. Motorola Xoom is a favorite if you need flexibility and watch a lot of videos. (The only reason people buy a tablet is – slightly larger than a smart phone and slightly smaller than a laptop. duh!  :))

Logitech Revue with Google TV

Google TV lets you watch television channels, internet websites, net flix, mobile apps and videos on your normal television. Logitech Revue, the wireless keyboard with a mouse lets you watch and surf right from your coach. The combo of Logitech Revue with Google TV might seem alluring in the beginning, but after a while you might feel crippled due to its limitations.

Google TV

Google TV comes with a box through which you can watch channels and browse the web on your television. Its installation is simple as connecting a couple of wires. It s unique features allow the users to browse the web, operate your mobile apps, search the channels, and so on. Google TV allows the users to control their television using any advanced smart phone.

You can watch multiple channels on the TV using the dual view feature. Using the DVR option, you can record or save the programs on your satellite dish. It is an open source software and easy to operate. The TV has certain drawbacks as it can sometimes fail to operate flash programs on the screen. Further, it is not compatible with your gaming systems such as Wii or XBox. Google TV allows you watch television and browse the internet all the time but is not suitable for worldwide operations.

Logitech Revue with Google TV

Logitech Revue with Google TV comes with a box to which you can connect to internet and television. the wireless keyboard has full keys on it including the volume controls and mouse. The Revue can be operated by operating an app on your smartphone. The listings on the Google television are found to be inaccurate. The Netflix app does not allow the browsing option and also does not work well. Major television channels such as ABC and NBS have blocked their channels on Google TV.

While  many have liked the Logitech’s keyboard, the combo does not work well with most channels. If you are looking for an all-in-one option, this may  not be the correct choice. You may have to wait for the upgrades to enjoy a less-flaw version.

Jail Breaking Apple iPhone

New iPhone users may sometimes feel stuck by the limitations of the iPhone. Most of the frustration led to jail breaking which improves the features but risks the iPhone itself. Here is a glimpse of iPhone jail breaking.

iPhone Limitations


I was shocked to realize the basic features which other normal phones have are missing from Apple iPhone. I wouldn’t have bought an iPhone if I knew these drawbacks. 🙂
  • Cannot support flash
  • Cannot run applications in the background
  • Cannot customize themes, ring tones, and colors
  • Cannot stop SMS preview when you are in the middle of something else
  • Cannot send MMS or blue tooth
  • Cannot forward text messages
  • Cannot forward contacts
  • Calendar cannot sync with Google calendar!
Moreover, if you are listening to music, answering calls and browsing the Internet in a day through iPhone, you need to keep it plugged and charge it all the time!

Jail Breaking iPhone

All these limitations have increased user frustration and led to jail breaking of an iPhone. Jail breaking is nothing but erasing the existing operating system and reloading the customizable operating system. It involves hacking the iPhone software and loading your own operating system software with customizable features.

Jail Breaking versus Unlocking

Jail breaking is different from unlocking an iPhone. Unlocking an iPhone is freeing it from the service provider you bought it and enabling it to use it on any other service. Whereas, jail breaking is the first step to unlocking but not necessarily changing the service provider.
For example, when you unlock an iPhone, you can change the service provider. But, when you jail break an iPhone, you can still continue with your existing service provider.

Advantages of Jail breaking iPhone

Cydia, Spirit, QuickPwn and so on are some of the tools to jail break an Apple iPhone. With jail breaking, you can have customized wall papers and hide native iPhone applications which you do not use.
You can practically make the iPhone work in your personal way which you want instead of getting stuck with the default options given by Apple. Hackers are continuously working on jail breaking techniques and freeing up the iPhone for better utilization.

Disadvantages of Jail breaking iPhone


Once you jail break your iPhone, you cannot return to apple software though you can continue accessing the Apps and tunes from the apple stores. Jail breaking may not be suggestible because of the following reasons:
  • Conflicts the functioning of the device itself
  • More prone to viruses and worms
  • Loss of warranty of the iPhone
  • With every iTune update, jail breaking is disabled and you have to jail break it again. 🙂
Anyways, if you still decide to go ahead, here are some guidelines for jail breaking.

Legal Issues of Jail breaking iPhone

While the hackers feel that jail breaking is perfectly normal and must be legalized, Apple still claims the copyrights. While it is entirely an individual’s decision whether to jail break or not, I think one must consider all the options before proceeding. 🙂

Three Steps to Post a Google AdSense Ad in Your Blog

Google Adsense is widely popular among the blog industry. Everybody is blogging, but the real challenge is setting up the ads in a WordPress blog. Here are three simple steps to post an ad in to your blog.


1. Login as Admin to your blog
  1. Click on Posts menu and select a page to insert Ads
  2. Select HTML view for inserting google Ad javascript code. Leave an empty line above and below the <script>… </script> tags
  3. To add the Ad beside the blog image: Add <table><tr><td>Ad script or blog image</td><td>Ad script or blog image</td></tr></table>
2. Login to AdSense to create an ad
  1. Under AdSense Setup, identify the content type and subject for which you need the ad
  2. Click AdSense for Content to select ad type
  3. Decide the place where you want to show the Ad on blog
    • Just after the heading of blog => rectangular image or text 700 X 15
    • In the middle => rectangular preferably text with multiple columns may be 4 or 5
    • Next to a image => square 300 X 200
  4. Select Ad Unit. You can experiment with Link Unit also
  5. Select Size horizontal or vertical and so on
  6. Add five subject categories related to the blog contents
  7. Give a name to the ad and generate javascript
  8. Copy the javascript from the text box


3. Go back to the blog contents and paste the javascript
  1. Save and Update and Publish the blog
  2. See the blog and make sure you have the correct ads appearing
  3. Click back to Manage Ads and edit if needed
If the ads are not to your expectation or want to change any categories you can go to AdSense and make the changes without copying and pasting the javascript again.

The AdSense is smart enough to post the ads according to the changes you make there without copying and pasting the javascript. Happy advertising and happy blogging with Adsense. 🙂

Cloud Computing – The Next Big Thing

Cloud computing is based on the internet (Cloud) for developing computer technology (Computing). It involves delivering hosted services over the internet.



Gartner have said that “Cloud computing heralds an evolution of business that is no less influential than e-business”. It does add though that “cloud computing is very much an evolving concept that will take many years to fully mature”.

However, Robert McGarvey says that by 2012 only 21% of businesses will not be using Cloud Computing and 20% of businesses will own no IT assets.

Significance

Information Technology faces continuous requirement of extending the resources without increasing the cost. Cloud computing can assist IT in increasing the capacity and adding capabilities.

Cloud computing supports latest models for IT services that are developed over the internet. It involves the provision of dynamic, scalable and virtual resources as a service over the internet. Cloud Computing helps reduce IT infrastructure costs and enhances competitive advantage in an IT company. It can support additional users and can create flexible IT environment.

A recent study by Aberdeen Group revealed that companies adopting Cloud Computing have reduced IT costs by 18% and data center power consumption by 16%.

Applications

Companies such as Microsoft, Google, Salesforce.com, NetSuite, and Amazon among others have deployed Cloud Computing in their services. The three main services supported by Cloud Computing are:  

  1. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS): With Cloud Computing, infrastructure vendors can provide physical storage and processing capabilities to support services on the internet.
  2. Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS): With Cloud Computing, companies can encapsulate a layer of service and provide it as a platform. The users can build higher-level services using the applications from platforms.
  3. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): With Cloud Computing, companies can offer applications on the internet as a service and on demand. A single instance of the software runs on the cloud and can serve multiple users or organisations.

Advantages

Gartner stresses that Cloud computing is emerging at the convergence of three major trends service orientation, virtualization and standardization of computing through Internet. Here are some advantages of Cloud computing:

  • Scalability
  • Cost saving
  • Business agility
  • Disaster recovery
  • Built-in backup
  • Device independence
  • Security
  • Location independence
  • Maintenance

Disadvantages

Cloud Computing has numerous advantages such as continuous data access, virtual storage, pay-by-use model, scalability and so on.

However, here are some of the challenges of Cloud Computing:

  1. Security of the data stored on the internet
  2. Reliability on external sources and third party hosts for data supply
  3. Dependency on internet and connectivity
  4. Difficulty in managing multiple platforms or multiple clouds which enterprises require
  5. Slow connectivity for web-based applications

Cloud Computing is often confused with Grid Computing, Utility Computing and Autonomic Computing. The challenges and developments in the topic make it interesting and essential for research.

Products

IBM, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, HP, VMWare are some of the largest vendors of clouds. Here are some of the examples of cloud computing.

  1. Web mail: Google, Yahoo, Microsoft
  2. Online storage services: Humyo, ZumoDrive, Microsoft’s SkyDrive, S3 from Amazon
  3. Online collaboration tools: Google Wave, Spicebird, Mikogo, Stixy, Vyew
  4. Online suites: Google suite, Ajax13, ThinkFree and Microsoft’s Office Live.
  5. Virtual computing platforms: Amazon’s EC2, Open source platforms such as AbiCloud, Elastichosts and NASA’s Nebula

ZDNet has analyzed common myths of cloud computing to bust the common misconceptions in that area. Cloud computing is here to stay and will bring in major developments in IT services.